BENGALURU: Private and aided schools in Karnataka have welcomed Education Minister Suresh Kumar’s idea to follow Kerala in having water bells to ensure that students drink adequate quantities of water.
Water bells, which are breaks when children are asked to drink water, will prevent dehydration and urinary infections in children.
Indraprastha Vidyalaya in Uppinangady is the first school to implement the water bells programme in Karnataka. They came to this decision after parents complained about children bringing back water without drinking it.
Jose MJ, Principal of Indraprastha Vidyalaya, says, "After parents spoke about this issue, we looked into it and found that many students had headaches and stomach pain frequently. We came to the conclusion that it was due to the lack of fluid in their body and took a decision to put up water bells. The first bell is at 10:35 AM, after the first period, another is at 12:00 AM and the last one is at 2:00 PM. Our teachers also check if the children are drinking adequate water or not."
Sister Sharlet, principal of St. Mary's girls high school, says, "We allow children to drink water at all times. They don't have specified timings to drink water and we have placed water purifiers in schools for the students. We know the importance of water breaks and will support the water bell notion wholeheartedly as it can benefit children."
Appreciating the initiative, Kavitha Neelayath, principal of VIBGYOR high school, Kadugodi, says, "I read about this in the newspaper. We are very curious about this scenario and would like to implement this program in our school also."
Paediatricians say that children, especially girls, avoid drinking water due to lack of clean toilet facilities in schools. This often leads to mild dehydration and urinary infections.
Water bells are catching on in the city amongst adults too. Ayyappa Masagi, known as the 'water warrior', has launched a radio campaign where every hour a bell rings and people are asked by the RJ to drink water.
Kuldeep Naik, the producer of the show, says, "We have begun to ring water bells every hour. After the bell rings, we announce on air that it's time to drink water. Various actors and politicians have helped endorse this programme and we are planning to spread our campaign to various schools in Bangalore." They are also planning to spread the concept of water bells to parks, offices and public places.
Dr Hemant Kumar Agarwal, a paediatrician who has visited many schools across Karnataka, says, "Most teenage girls I meet as a paediatrician carry water to school every day but consume less of it because they don't want to go to the unhygienic toilets of the school. Water breaks are good because it will allow children to drink more water but the schools should also focus on clean bathroom facilities, which should be a primary concern." He also added that children are even diagnosed with kidney stones due to lack of adequate water.